Improvement in brick-machines



PATEWED AUG 1 1871 V 5f/venian;

VUNrrEn STATES EEECE.

WILLIAM H. MACHEN AND HENRY r. L. MACHEN, JE., or roLEno', CHIC.

IMPROVEMENT IN BRICK-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.`117,551, dated Augustl, 1871.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM H. MACHEN and HENRY P. L. MACHEN, Jr., ofToledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Brick-Making Machines; and we do declare thatthe following is a true and accurate description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of referencemarked thereon, and

being a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a verticalcentral section of our device; Fig. 2, an end view, partly in section,of the same,- Fig. 3, a side elevation of the same; Fig. 4, the oppositeside elevation of the same 5 Fig. 5, a top plan view of the same; Fig.6, two views of the lever for operating the ratchet-wheel 5 and Fig. 7,a cross-section on line g/ y of Fig. 6.

Like letters refer to like parts in each iigure.

The nature of this invention relates to an improvement in that class ofbrick-making machines where the bricks are molded in recesses or moldsin the periphery of a rotating wheel, receiving the clay directly intosaid molds from a suitable pugmill secured above the wheel. Theinvention consists: First, in the peculiar mechanism by means of whichthe wheel is secured an intermittent rotary motion. Second, in the novelmechanism employed to press the clay after it has been received intosaid molds. Third, in the new combination, construction, and arrangementof the various parts, to form a complete machine, as hereinafter morefully described.

In the accompanying drawing, a, 11,0, d, e, and f represent the frame,constructed of any snitable material, which carries the operating partsof the machine, and upon the top of which is secured the pug-mill N,which grinds the clay previous to its being delivered -into the molds.The shaft Al is properly journaled in suitable boxes on the beams ortimbers b b', and upon this shaft is secured the wheel or hollowcylinder B. Outside the beam or timber b is secured upon this shaft theratchet-wheel g, both cylin der and wheel being so secured to the axlethat they rotate with it. The periphery of the wheel is provided with aseries of recesses, C', which is of suitable size and shape for molds.These recesses are provided with accurately-fitting plungers t, whichare secured to stems or pistons x x, around which are coiled the springsu u. The inner ends of the Stems are provided with small wheels Y Y,which der is placed immediately below are journaled properly to thestems. The cylin the pug-mill, which latter is so arranged as to allowthe clay in the same to fall into the recesses or molds as they arepresented to the mouth of the mill. The clay having' been received into-the molds, with the plungers withdrawn to the bottom ofthe same bymeans of the springs u, the Wheel or cylinder is caused to rotateforward by the mechanism hereinafter described. Two levers, IL It', ofequal length, are secured, one at each end of the axle or shaft A, insuch a manner that they have a free movement on said shaft. The upperends of these levers are connected by proper joints to other levers, D',the outer ends of which are secured to proper wrist-pins inthecrank-wheels J, which receive a rotary motion from the pulley on themain driving-shaft P Q by means of the belt Z. The inner face of thelever hf is provided with a spring-pawl, m, properly hinged or otherwisesecured to the lever, so that it will engage, when desired,'with theratchets of the wheel g, and thereby give a forward rotation to theshaft A and its attachments. Another pawl, F', engaging with notches aon the periphery of the ratchet-wheel, prevents any backward rotation ofthe shaft. Arms x connect, by being pivoted thereto just above the axle,the arms h It with a horizontal bar or press, t', and in `theiroperation draw said bar or press against the clayin the series of moldspresented to it. The inner face of this press-bar is provided with apressure-plate, b", the face of which is proyided with grooves cl tocorrespond with the vertical partitions of the molds. F G is an endlessbelt, which runs over the drums H and a series of small rollers, R, toprevent the belt from, sagging, and it is driven by the belt L from themain shaft P Q.

The clay is delivered from the pug-mill into the molds while thecylinder is stationary, and

at the same instant, by means ofthe mechanism hereinbefore described,the press-bar operates upon the clay in another set of molds, the camorratchet-wheel with its spring-pawl compelling a forward movement orrotation of the cylinder, thereby presenting another set of molds to themouth of the pug-mill as soon as the press-bar is drawn back from theface of the bricks. ln the continued forward motion of the cylinder, andafter the bricks in the molds have been subjected to the action of thepress-bar, as above described, the small Wheels Y roll upon the outerface of the xed cam Z and force the bricks out of the molds by throwingoutward the plungers, so that When the rst mold filled has reached apoint directly vertical under its first position the point of the knifeE in Fig. 2 Will pass between the brick and face ofthe plunger andcompel the brick to fall upon the endless belt, Which may be ofany-desired length. As. soon as the bricks are out of the molds thesprings u Withdraw the plun gers to the bottom ofthe molds again.

What We claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

l. In rotary brick-machines, the levers D h h',

